familypediawikiaorg-20200214-history
Mattachee Village, Massachusetts
Mattachee Village (AKA: Mettachee, Metachee Indian Village) was an indian settlement in what is now Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It played a significant role in the early history of Plymouth Colony. (Other alternate names: "Mattacheese", "Mattachiest", "Mattakest", "Mattakees", "Mattakesset" and "Mattakeese") In 1639, the village of Mattacheese became the place where the Reverend John Lothrop and his congregation founded their settlement the town of Barnstable MA. History Historians identify Mattachee Village as one of 15 original tribal settlements on the Cape Cod area at the time of the arrival of the Mayflower pilgrims in 1620.Cape Cod Indians - Page 1, by Susan S. Martin, 2000 It existed whithin a greater tribal community, the Pokanoks, or Wampanoags. The Wampanoags were one of the many Algonquin tribes, who dwelled in the regions today known as New Brunswick and New England. from 11,500 BC to 1689 AD.Plimoth On Web: An Overview of Wampanoag History Now, about the village of Mattacheese. "Mattacheese" is a term from the Wampanoag dialect of the Algonquin language, meaning "plowed fields". This is not surprising since the Wampanoag were an agricultural tribe; they successfully cultivated corn on their fields and also sold it to those who were less lucky in obtaining food. The Mattacheese area was a division of the Wampanoag federation of villages; the leader of such a division was called "Sagamoh", which meant "Second Chief" (to distinguish him from the "Massi-sowet", the "Great Chief", supreme ruler of all Wampanoags). The leader of an ordinary individual village would have been called "Mugwomp" (Captain or Chief). When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Cape Cod in 1620 - the Wampanoag had contact with Europeans since 1524 already, so the Pilgrim Fathers were by no means the first Europeans they encountered -, the leader of Mattacheese was Iyanough. In 1620, the Pilgrims actually skirted the area on their journey to Plymouth, but decided not to enter the harbor due to a snowstorm. In 1621, a young Pilgrim by the name of John Billington (1604-1628) wandered back into the forests of Mattacheese, lost his way, and was eventually rescued by a band of Pilgrims aided by Iyanough. 1639: Peace Settlement Iyanough was followed by his son, Hyanno, who married his daughter to the Austin Bearse (See below). At that time, however, Mattacheese was not part of the Wampanoag federation anymore. The Narragansetts, another Algonquin tribe that was located west of the Wampanoag territory, had taken over the area. However, it is not clear in what year exactly the Cape Cod region changed owners. In 1617, a plague brought by Europeans had devestated what is New England today. Many Wampanoag tribes had been hit hard by the pestilence, but not the Narragansetts who were ruled by their supreme chief Canonicus, who would become an ally of the newly arriving English later and give them land to settle. In 1639, the village of Mattacheese became the place where the Reverend John Lothrop and his congregation founded their settlement the town of Barnstable MA. "1639, Metachee Village, Cape Code. Austin Bearse and Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno are married under Wampanog tribal ceremonial rights. (...) Mary was a Native American princess and the daughter of Sachem (Chief) John Iyanough of the Cummaquid, grand-daughter of Highyanough, Sachem of all the Wampanoag, and great-granddaughter of Grand Sachem, Canonicus, Chief of all the Narragansett. The marriage of Austin and Mary was a major factor in the temporary peace that was maintained for approximately two generations between the Wampanoag and the English." Ancestors & Relations of Note, by Everett P. Inman, 2000 Geography Demographics Notable people See also References External links * Plimoth On Web: An Overview of Wampanoag History - Tribal early history covering the years 11,500 BC to 1689 AD here * Wampanoag History, by Lee Sultzman - This website provides highly interesting information on Wampanoag history, political organization anc culture. * Plimoth On Web: The Wampanoag People - Even more extensive, with additional links to other sites on the Wampanoag, is this source. Category:Barnstable, Massachusetts Category:Cities in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Category:Coastal settlements in Massachusetts